Prior to the results of the Women’s Health Initiative a decade ago, menopausal women were routinely prescribed hormone replacement therapy to help prevent cardiovascular disease and other chronic medical conditions. More recently, studies have questioned the wide applicability of the WHI conclusion that risks outweighed the benefits. Now a government task force has weighed in.
Here’s what it had to say about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for disease prevention.

A new study set out to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in an outpatient pediatric practice network by using education and feedback. The results surprised even the researchers.
Find out how much a few lunch-hour refresher courses and individualized prescribing reports reduced use of broad-spectrum antibiotics where they were not warranted.

Longer Treatment Period for MRSA Pneumonia Not Always Beneficial

With flu season gearing up, the threat of pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) increases in vulnerable patients. Now, a new study suggests that antibiotics may not have to be administered for as long as recommended in practice guidelines to get favorable results.
Which patients had the highest survival rates?

Earlier this year, the FDA cautioned about the possible risk of blood clots with drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Now, in
an FDA-sponsored study, researchers found higher risks of arterial thrombotic events and venous thromboembolic events in women taking those medications. While small in absolute incidence, blood clots were much more likely with the drospirenone pills than in low-dose estrogen pills.